Our Favorite Indie Bookstore Merch
Our favorite indie bookstore merch
Some people collect sports team paraphernalia, they swoon at the latest jersey, have a dozen baseball hats. Others are more into designer labels, or the hottest looks from an influencer’s grid.
Around here? Well, as if it isn't obvious already, we really like bookstores. Indie bookstores, to be more specific.
And what better way to rep local bookshops than model their latest fashions? Here are our top picks for what to wear while you read, and beyond.
Ignore the messy stock room and focus on the best sweatshirt in all the land. - Ally
Ally:
My red “Thank you for reading” crew neck sweatshirt from Thank You Books is my favorite indie bookstore merch. I ordered it from the Birmingham, Alabama bookshop sometime during the pandemic when I was extremely pregnant and needed a blanket-like cozy shirt option for working from home. Now I wear this thing everywhere. It's down to my knees, closer to a dress than sweatshirt. In other words, it's perfect. It doesn't hurt that it's Comfort Colors, a Hanes brand that has a soft washed out color palette and worn in feel. 10/10 bookshop swag. I learned about Thank You Books, which opened not long before the pandemic, on Instagram. Though I haven't visited in person, I hope to one day. I fell in love with the store and its owners through their friendly, fun social content and spot on book selections.
Community Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, was my local bookshop for many years. It's where I first got the spark of inspiration that owning a bookstore just might be a good idea. Later on I'd meet Stephanie, the shop owner, and get an honest peek behind the curtain of what it takes to run an independent retail store in the age of Am#$oN. After that lunch I left jazzed up on caffeine and business advice, for which I am forever grateful. I cherish my Community Bookstore bookmark, one of many I collected over the years I spent living in Park Slope. I loved the bookmark so much, I asked Stephanie who the designer was. That's how I met Brigid from Lettershop, a design firm that would change the course of my life forever. But thats an understatement, and another blog post.
I also love the adorable toddler T-shirt I got at Books Are Magic. And it doesn't hurt that it's neon yellow, which is convenient for keeping an eye on my kiddo at the playground! (The yellow shirt is out of stock, but this cute blue one is coming home with me soon!)
My favorite Old Town Books merch is our new baby blue Miir water bottles. I like the wide handle at the top, the long thin profile for sliding into a tote bag, and the adorable Old Town row house inspired artwork by illustrator Mike Reddy.
Oh so cozy.
For OTB clothing, I'm forever reaching for my “Virginia Is for Readers” baseball tee. It's so soft and lightweight, perfect for layering.
Abby:
Ever since I moved into my first apartment, I learned that I have a problem. A mug problem. It started with one and then two, and now, of course, I have approximately five million taking up cabinets and counter space alike. But, despite the excess, I still find myself reaching for a select few over and over again and this beautiful blue ombre mug from Loyalty Bookstore is definitely among my favorites. It’s seen me through many a warm bath and late night, and keeps my tea warm for much longer than I ever expected.
While Loyalty Bookstore is just a hop, skip, and a jump away in DC and therefore pretty easy to visit, I was able to check off a shop off my ‘indie-bookstore bucket list’ earlier this summer when I visited Books are Magic in Brooklyn, NY. It’s one of my favorite shops to creep on via Instagram, mostly out of jealousy of all the authors they have to visit like it’s no big deal. I was unable to leave its quant Brooklyn location, though, without grabbing one of their awesome t-shirts. They switch out their designs enough to always keep you on your toes and make you feel like a true influencer, wearing designs no longer available to the general public. I specifically got their Mystic T-Shirt and it’s one of my favorites!
But my favorite kind of bookstore merch is definitely when a shop has items that aren’t your typical mug or t-shirt. That’s why I especially love the cross stitch kits we have right here at OTB! I followed Junebug and Darlin before I even started working here (the company that makes our custom kits) and absolutely love that I can purchase their kits with my favorite patriarchy crushing slogan or shop dog, Scout, from one of my favorite indie creators. You get everything you need to make a beautiful little cross-stitch design and if you have no experience with the craft, don’t worry! The instructions are really easy to follow and once you finish one you’ll definitely be hooked into filling up a whole wall with your creations (or maybe that’s just me).
Jen:
Hi my name is Jen, and I have a tote bag problem. It has gotten so bad I have to implement a one in, two out bag policy.
So of course every day at the store I am eyeing our super cute tote bags. I have the Old Town Books Tote from before my time working here (I won it in a giveaway), but I am slightly obsessed with our teal “Bookish” tote bags. That color!
I will not know true happiness until I find that perfect tote bag. So I guess I will keep buying bags.
I love supporting my favorite Indie’s across the country, either with great mystery book bundles from Second Flight Books, Auntie’s Books always has signed copies of my favorite Katee Robert books, Bettie’s Pages is my go to for #literarypride merch, and a super cozy bookstore in the heart of the Smoky Mountains is Foggy Pines Books is always fun to walk around and they have store kittens!
Rachel:
On my Indie Fashion wishlist is a shirt from Pittsburgh’s (my “hometown”) oldest used bookstore, City Books Pittsburgh and a tote from White Whale Books, which I just fell down a rabbit hole researching online (whoops!).
I bought our teal “Bookish” tote bag to take with me to other Bookish events to rep that OTB pride, and am eagerly awaiting cooler weather so I can break out the OTB Bookish Hoodie and be cozy again.